Withering or Blooming?
by Ace.Stone
Summary: Based heavily off of the Arcana Chronicles book, Withering or Blooming? follows the story of Sakura Haruno. An ex-mental patient who is living in the post apocalyptic world that was caused by The Flash. As she struggles to survive, Sakura finds out more about the dark past of her family and how it's related to the Tarot Cards. The only question is...Is this real?
1. Chapter 1

_Story Title: Withering or Blooming?_

 _Title: Meetings_

 _Story Summary: Based heavily off of the Arcana Chronicles book, Withering or Blooming? follows the story of Sakura Haruno. An ex-mental patient who is living in the post apocalyptic world that was caused by The Flash. As she struggles to survive, Sakura finds out more about the dark past of her family and how it's related to the Tarot Cards. The only question is...Is this real?_

 _Disclaimer: The main plot of this (The Flash and some of the key parts of the story) belong to Kresley Cole, author of The Arcana Chronicles! I'll be adding my own subplots, however! The characters, as all of us Naruto fans know, are property of_ _Masashi Kishimoto._

 _A/N: So I considered putting this as a crossover, but then I figured that since I'm not using any of Kresley's characters that to me it doesn't constitute as a crossover. I will, however, make sure to give both her and Masashi credit! This first chapter resembles the first chapter of the book greatly, although I'm planning on changing a few things and characters to fit more of the Naruto characters as well as have my own shit going on as well!_

* * *

 **Kabuto's POV**

 **Day 182 A.F**

I watch as my target follows behind me as I make my way across town. I pass a sign with the top part cut off so that the name of the city was unrecognizable, but the bottom part with the population was still there. Population: 127,000. While the population might have seemed small about a half a year ago, the mere thought of so many people in one town today would be suffocating. Now and days a town is considered large if the _real_ population of it, not the one that the sign says, is in the double digits.

A few moments later, I see her stop at the sign. Surely reading the writing I had sprayed on it. _Food and comfort and shelter in exchange for a recording session._ I had also put the address of my current safe didn't know that I knew she was trailing me across this doomed city. This city with buildings destroyed and bodies laying on the street. I suppose some people would feel saddened by the sight...And to a certain point, I do. I'm saddened that the way they died was wasteful. Their bodies could have been used for something. A transplant for some poor soul, the brain that could help humanity survive this horror...Or even better...An experiment of mine.

 _But she'll do just as well,_ I mentally think with a smirk. The girl trailing me slowly is beautiful. Pink, shoulder length hair and wide green eyes. Such naive eyes...And yet, I can detect a darkness in them whenever she gets close enough. This girl has known pain. And as her eyes read the sign, I can see the familiar sign of hope. The sign of someone who's just practically seen the gates of heaven. But she doesn't know...She's not following me to heaven.

 _Oh no. She's following me into hell. Well, for her anyways._ I chuckle as I shake my head. I had lost one of my experiments anyways...One of my elixirs had passed the threshold into an acid based liquid and burned her from the inside out. I can still smell the corpse in the basement of the house that I was currently hold up in. Of course, I make sure the rest of the house smells as pleasant as a daisy. I don't want to scare away anymore subjects, after all.

I make my way into the house. A rather small structure with the windows boarded up. The paint of the house was chipping, although it was hard to find any building that was chipping at this point. The Flash had fried just about everything in the matter of seconds...It's a miracle that some houses are even left standing. I sigh as I ponder over how such an event could occur. One house stands, while the house next to it perishes and is obliterated. _Don't dwell on things you probably can't solve,_ I remind myself. Not when I have so much at stake. This girl looks like she would be a great addition to my subjects.

I open the door and close it, making sure that I slam it loud enough for her to know which house it came from. As if the spray painted _Knock here for assistance_ isn't obvious enough on the door. I peer through the window as she hesitantly crosses towards the house. I can see that she's wearing a pink hoodie and a tight pair of jeans, an outfit that she likely had to peel from a body somewhere.

 _Come on...Come on..._ I mentally goad her, and I see her making her way towards the house. Finally! I quickly duck back, making sure that the curtain doesn't move to much, and I make my way to the kitchen. I turn the oven on and poor a can of stew...Along with one of my elixirs. It wouldn't seem to do much at first, but over a period of time determined by her genetics it would make her sleepy and drowsy. I've yet to come across anyone who is immune to this, although it wouldn't matter if they were. The windows were boarded up, and the inside handle of the door had been taken off by me. The only way out of this house was with the priers that dangled on the shelf next to the door.

I here a hesitant knock, and I try not to lunge towards the door as I step away from the gas stove. I make my way towards the door and use the priers to open it, making sure to hide them before she can see. After all I worked hard on making the outside of this shitty house to look presentable, I don't need her knowing how hard it would be to get out until the door was shut behind her.

"Hello there," I say, and I see her smile. She's beautiful, and for a moment I reconsider my thoughts of taking her as a subject...And instead as a partner. I could picture her in a bed with her arms opened in an inviting manor. I shake my head clear of these thoughts. I will not let anyone get in the way of my experiments...Unless this woman turns out to be something extraordinary, her fate is to stay chained up in the basement with the rest of the girls.

"H-Hi..." She says shyly, and I mentally chuckle. Shy to? How had she survived all this time? Something tells me she hasn't been by herself this whole time. Surely a girl like her couldn't handle it. "I-I saw your sign...And I would love to make the trade."

"What's your name?" I ask eagerly, and mentally curse myself. I don't need her to think I'm a creep. But I merely see her smile as she steps inside.

"Sakura. Sakura Haruno." I close the door after her and gesture towards the two chairs in the middle of the room by the fireplace, the fire cracking. The weather was...Odd. When standing directly in the sun one person could be burning up. But move to some type of shaded area? And you feel just how chilly the autumn air is.

"My name is Kabuto Yakushi." I say, trying to offer her a charming smile. And she's foolish enough to relax more, to the point of sitting down while I run off to get the stew and glass of water. Of course I had some of my elixir in the water to. "I'll get you more if you wish later...However I'm quite eager to hear your story."

I see the girl who can't be any older than sixteen, Sakura, blink at me before nodding as she took the tray that I offered her. "Okay...May I ask why you're so curious?" She asked, and I mentally yell at her _it's not your place!_ But I have to remind myself that she doesn't know the horrible contract she just signed by walking into the door.

"I'm documenting stories...Trying to figure out why The Flash happened. And how we can come back from it." I'm such a great actor. I can play the concerned-for-the-world type of guy flawlessly.

"Okay...But Kabuto?" I look up at her. "What I tell you that I saw...Might not be what actually happened." At my curious look, she sighed and shook her head. "My story starts the first day that school starts back...As well as the day I get back from CLC..." At my confused look she goes on. "Childs Last Chance...A mental institution for underaged kids."

Could I have perhaps found a girl who is considered as insane as I used to be? I remember how my parents thought of sending me off when they heard about my essay to Yale being focused around how essential human experimentation is. My curious mind goes at ease I her beautiful voice starts talking. Hanging on to every word that she says.

* * *

Preview of next chapters:

 _You can do this Sakura,_ I think to myself. _Two years. Just two years of pretending to feel sane...It can't be that hard...Right?_

AN: Would love to hear your opinions! I'm also going to apologize for any grammar mistakes I have. I'm using Grammarly, a great grammar tool although it doesn't catch all of the mistakes, but grammar is not my strong suite. Would love to hear your feedback!


	2. Chapter 2

_Story Title: Withering or Blooming?_

 _Title: Meetings_

 _Story Summary: Based heavily off of the **Arcana Chronicles** book, Withering or Blooming? follows the story of Sakura Haruno. An ex-mental patient who is living in the post-apocalyptic world that was caused by The Flash. As she struggles to survive, Sakura finds out more about the dark past of her family and how it's related to the Tarot Cards. The only question is...Is this real?_

 _Disclaimer: The main plot of this (The Flash and some of the key parts of the story) belong to Kresley Cole, author of The Arcana Chronicles! I'll be adding my own subplots, however! The characters, as all of us Naruto fans know, are the property of_ _Masashi Kishimoto._

 _A/N: So I considered putting this as a crossover, but then I figured that since I'm not using any of Kresley's characters that to me it doesn't constitute as a crossover. I will, however, make sure to give both her and Masashi credit! This first chapter resembles the first chapter of the book greatly, although I'm planning on changing a few things and characters to fit more of the Naruto characters as well as have my own shit going on as well!_

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

 **Day 7 B.F. (before flash).**

I take a deep breath as I look into the mirror. My pink hair ran past my shoulders and was held back by a red ribbon that I had gotten when I joined the cheerleading team. The squad thought it would look great with my sea-green eyes and would keep my bangs out of my face. Something that was pretty important when we went to competitions. I had on a light red tank top underneath an over the shoulder pink shirt. A tight pair of jeans finished the outfit.

Today was my first day of school...And my first day away from CLC. As I looked through my sketchbook that was laying on my dresser, I was reminded of why my mom sent me there. Sketches of drawings just about covered my room. These were all from nightmares and daydreams I had, and I had tried to hide them at first. But mom found my journal...And had immediately asked for 'professional help'. As if shipping me off to some other place would cure me.

 _She was just doing what she thought was best,_ I reminded myself. _She's been through a lot._ And it was true. My mom was the only female local farmer, and she had enough on her plate trying to slip through the cracks into a male dominated field. Plus this draught that's come over the area hasn't made things easy. _Forgive and forget,_ I tell myself. _After all, you're out of there now. Now we just have to keep it that way._

I made my way to the attached bathroom and rolled my eyes as I saw the two pills laying on the counter. Mom had taken the bottle and hidden it so that way she knew I wouldn't flush all of the pills's down the toilet...As if I would want to do that. The pills were the only thing that kept the nightmares away, and for that, I would have taken the trip to CLC as a volunteer. I grab the two pills and put them in my mouth before chasing them with water. The bitter taste makes me wince, but I shake it off.

"Sakura, hurry up! You're going to be late for school!" Mom yelled from downstairs. Anger rushed through me and I was about to let her have it, before thinking better of it. The doctors had told mom to watch out for any difference of behavior, and she's been watching me like a hawk since I got home last night. She tried to be subtle...But subtlety wasn't in my mother's vocabulary.

"Coming!" I simply decided to reply before grabbing my backpack. As I made my way downstairs, I took in the sight of the home we lived in. The home that I missed so much. Haven House had been the house that the Harunos have lived in for generations, and mom took great pride in it. Of course, pride didn't stop it from aging. The paint needed to be redone and it wouldn't hurt to have someone look at the structure, but it hasn't collapsed yet.

Mom was standing by the doorway, her brown hair tied into a high ponytail as she chatted with someone on her cell phone. I didn't bother trying to figure out who it was, and instead, I made my way towards the kitchen. I opened the pantry and grabbed a pop tart, stuffing one happily into my mouth.

 _Crazy Like A Fox!_

I jerked up in surprise, whirling around-

-to see nothing. Mom had apparently taken the call outside, and it was just me and her ever since my father died...So who had said that?

 _Oh God,_ I think to myself. _The pills are supposed to help with this!_ I haven't had to deal with nightmares, hallucinations, or voices since I was sent to CLC two months ago during summer break! How come they were popping up now? I took a deep breath and stood tall. _Here's what you're going to do Sakura. You're going to march outside and be all smiles. You're going to have an amazing conversation with your mom when she drives you to school. You're going to have an amazing day at school and be friendly to everyone like you used to be. We're going to make it through these last two years and then go to some college far away from here. Two years, and out._ I reminded myself...Surely I could be sane for two years? Or at least fake it?

 **XXX**

Oh, how naive I had been. As mom drove me to school in awkward silence, I ended up nodding off. And this time, not only had I heard the phrase again...But I got another _vision_. As I sit in the Quad during my lunch break, I recall the strange vision. This one had been more...Detailed than my others one. And this time, there was a boy. And he talked.

 _A tall boy in an orange jumpsuit was standing in front of a field of fire, and I could make out the oak trees that almost looked like the two on Haven House's property._

" _You're still not ready?" The blonde said, wide blue eyes looking at me with impatience. "Do you not see, Empress? Do you not see what is heading our way?" He gestured around him, and it was taking everything_ _inside of me not to turn around from the image. But there was a part of me that told me to look, to listen. "Our enemies laugh, Empress. We're falling behind. The world was created in Seven Days, they say? Myth. Was the world destroyed in seven days? Fact. Get ready, Empress, or Death will come for us all."_

I had jerked awake when mom had pulled into one of the driving spots. She, of course, investigated me about falling asleep and asking if I was feeling well. Basically, her asking if I was still sane. I remember nodding my head and quickly putting on one of my fake smiles, one of the smiles that my mom just _needed_ to see at the moment. My first few periods went by in a blur. I managed to write down a decent amount of notes, despite the fact that I had already memorized everything the teacher had said and tried to do just about anything to distract me from mulling over that dream.

I was then heading towards the bathroom when some boy bumped into me...And didn't even offer to help me up or apologize! He just continued walking, as if he didn't even notice anything happen! I had to bite my tongue to keep from cursing him out. Between him and the hallucination, I was walking on pretty thin ice.

 _It wasn't a hallucination or nightmare,_ I tried to reason with myself. _Just...Just a dream. That's all._ I keep telling myself this as the bell rings, signaling that it was time for me to head back towards history class. "Good morning class," Iruka, my teacher, said with a smile on his face. Many of my fellow female classmates giggled, and I couldn't help but to roll my eyes. I could see where Iruka gives off this cute charm, but I saw him more as a bigger brother. Iruka is a cousin of mine too, so that would make things a bit weird. "We have a new classmate today, and I'm going to need all of you to be real nice to him...Understand?" Iruka asked, and of us chimed in agreements. And when the door opened...

The most handsome guy I had ever seen walked in. The man's hair reminded me a bit of a chicken's butt, but he somehow pulled it off to where it looked attractive on him. His wore a black leather jacket over a navy blue shirt that stretched over his muscular arms. The shorts he wore barely reached his knees, and I could practically hear the rest of the girl's around me sighing.

"This is Sasuke Uchiha, and he is transferring into our class. Would you like to introduce yourself, Sasuke?" Iruka asked. I saw the new kid, Sasuke, scrunch his face up. Apparently he wasn't one for introductions. Not that I could blame him. If I had to stand in front of a class full of people I didn't know, I would probably freak out myself.

"Hn," Sasuke merely said and I couldn't help but to sigh as all the girls around me seemed to sigh and coo dreamily. He was handsome...And he had the mysterious vibe going for him...But I was never that type of girl. I was the type that needed to be able to talk to my partner. And something told me this boy wasn't much of a talker. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha. I'm from Japan," He said, and I was a bit shocked. To come from Japan to Louisiana? That must be one hell of a culture change.

"Alright..." Iruka said. "Sakura!" I jump as Iruka shout my name, and he nodded at me. "Please raise your hand. Sasuke can sit by you for today, and if you'd be so kind can you please show him around?" I nod my head and raise my hand.

"Yes, sir..." I say a bit shyly as he comes to sit by me, and I could feel dozens of eyes glaring at me. This is all I needed. He sits next to me and seemed to frown.

"Can you go easy on the perfume? Honeysuckle is a bit...Bold."

...To say I'm taken back in a mild way of putting it. This is the first time we're meeting, and he critiques me? Never the less, I smile sweetly at him. "I'm not wearing perfume," I say, and it's true. Although my mom has been asking me for my shampoo the last day. I just thought she was smelling something around the house.

The rest of class goes off without a hitch, and when the bell rings I find myself getting up and collecting my things. Thankfully, this was the last class of the day. I turn around to Sasuke to formally introduce myself before starting to show him around...and he's already out of the classroom.

 _Patience..._ I try to tell myself. I've always had a bit of a temper, though. I take a few deep breaths before following the crowd of girls to his locker. He seems more annoyed the longer they are around him, and when he catches my eye after slamming his locker shut I merely smile at him. I'm shocked when he's joined by someone...A taller version of himself.

"Hello Itachi," Sasuke says in the Cajun language. Most people who go to school don't know it, but I do since my father was part Cajun and he had been pretty open about the fact. Thankfully, both of my parents thought it would be neat to teach me the language, so I can understand what he's saying.

"Hello brother," The taller man says, and my eyes widen. When Sasuke looks over here, his eyes narrow at me.

"You know Cajun, don't you?"

Instead of answering, I put on a confused look. Going so far as to even tilt my head curiously at him. For some reason, I didn't want to tell him that I knew the language. I quickly turn to my locker and start getting my books out, and I feel his eyes on me the whole time. Of course, the crowd of girls keeps trying to get his attention, but for some reason, his gaze is locked on me as I'm putting my books that I don't need away.

As more and more time goes, the crowd of girls around him fade since they have to get home. And soon his brother bids farewell to, saying that he'll meet him at his house. He makes his way over to me.

"Let's get this over with, yeah? I really can't stand that smell of yours." He said, and I couldn't help but snap.

"Listen, you should really stop being rude to me," I say. "I'm trying to be nice to you, but when you've done nothing but insult and critique me...It's getting kind of old." I huff.

"I'll stop..." He says, and I sigh until he continues on. "If you admit that you know Japanese," Sasuke said, smirking at me.

"Unfortunately for both of us, I don't. Otherwise, I'd take that offer. Now, shall we get this underway? I have better things to do then spend my time with you." I would have felt guilty if I didn't get so much pleasure from the shocked look on his face as I said that. Instead, I merely grin and start walking away.

"You coming, or what?" I giggle, and I can hear him growling behind me in annoyance before he starts walking with me.

 _One of us is going to be dead by the end of the week,_ I think to myself as I begin the 'tour'.


	3. Chapter 3

_Story Title: Withering or Blooming?_

 _Title: Sisters for Life_

 _Story Summary: Based heavily off of the **Arcana Chronicles** book, Withering or Blooming? follows the story of Sakura Haruno. An ex-mental patient who is living in the post-apocalyptic world that was caused by The Flash. As she struggles to survive, Sakura finds out more about the dark past of her family and how it's related to the Tarot Cards. The only question is...Is any of this real?_

 _Disclaimer: The main plot of this (The Flash and some of the key parts of the story) belong to Kresley Cole, author of The Arcana Chronicles! I'll be adding my own subplots, however! The characters, as all of us Naruto fans know, are the property of_ _Masashi Kishimoto._

 _A/N: So I considered putting this as a crossover, but then I figured that since I'm not using any of Kresley's characters that to me it doesn't constitute as a crossover. I will, however, make sure to give both her and Masashi credit! Please make sure to review after reading! Whether good or bad! I apologize for taking so long to do this chapter. But for your patience I'll be uploading another chapter as well! It's a two for one sale!_

 **Sakura's POV**

 **Day 4 B.F.**

By the end of the 'tour', I wasn't sure who was more annoyed with who. The new student, Sasuke, just had a way of crawling under my skin. Not in a creepy kind of way...More like in an exciting kind of way. Most of the guys in this school were the classic stuck up, alpha jock type guys that I was forced to cheer on at games to keep my spot on the cheerleading squad. Sasuke and I had decided to relax on the bleachers after the tour. I knew my mom was probably waiting anxiously for me to get home so she could pounce me with questions, and I wasn't exactly all that eager to lie to her. So I just decided to hold off on it. And Sasuke did make a pretty good distraction.

But we had to part our separate ways eventually, and I can still remember how my mom had hounded me for every ounce of information about my day. Of course, I didn't tell her about my vision. _Hallucination_ , I reminded myself. I was currently looking at myself in the mirror of the girl's bathroom. The warning bell had just ringed for everyone to get to class when I felt the familiar pressure in my head. After the visions started coming, I started sensing a pressure before the visions came. It was like I could feel someone stuffing them into my head. And I was feeling it right now.

 _No, no, no!_ I mentally yelled at myself as I locked the door to the, thankfully, empty bathroom. _Pull back Sakura! This isn't the time or place!_ Sadly, this wasn't how it worked. And I could feel reality starting to pull away and being replaced with a different reality.

" _Empress!" The familiar blonde haired boy said, still wearing that tacky orange jumpsuit. Can my imagination at least give my hallucinations different clothes between visits? Really, I thought an artist like me would have more of an creative mind. "Beware the distractions! Arcana and Non-Arcana don't mix well! And beware the lures! The moon beckons...And kills just as swiftly!"_

 _I was about to say something else, but I noticed that the scenery was changing from the bathroom to an open field. And the blonde haired bow was no longer in front of me. Instead it was a woman. And she was beautiful. About my age with long blonde hair tied into a pony tail that seemed to go down to her knees. She had on a purple tank top that ended a little above where her belly button, as wear as a purple skirt. She has wrapped bandages around her legs since the skirt was cut open on the sides, allowing it to flow with the wind. Despite the fact that I didn't feel a single gust._

 _And when she rose her arms and hands, I gasped. She held a long and elegant bow in them, and she held them with a fierceness that told me that she wasn't afraid to use them. And she already had a arrow notched in the bow. I was about to cry out before she released the bow, and it flew towards me. I closed my eyes, only for it to land into something next to me...Or a person next to me. I realized that it was one of the monsters from my drawings. A zombie-like creature. Only now it had an arrow sticking out of it's head._

 _When I turn back to the blonde woman she had a smirk placed on her lips. "The moon always keeps an arrow in their quiver for the Empress. Whether it's to kill or protect...Only time will tell."_

And with that, I'm thrown back into reality. Or back into the bathroom. I reach up, and curse as I feel a small drip of blood running out of my nose. I make my way to the sink and clean up, trying to get the haunted look out of my eyes, before unlocking the door and walking out. The clock tells me I'm already ten minutes late for class. _Well isn't today just starting out dandy?_ I think to myself with a huff as I move towards Iruka's room.

 **XXXThis is a time skipXXX**

Lunch was both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing because it was nice to be surrounded by my friends once again. Especially Tenten. Tenten was my best friend. She was a year older than me, and was the cop for my school. Anytime there was a physical altercation, Tenten was maybe a bit _too_ eager to get involved.

"Earth to Sakura?" Tenten says, and I have to shake my head. Tenten is in her uniform and on her own break. Both of us are sitting down outside in the quad, enjoying the warmth of the sun's rays while we can. "Did you even hear a word I said?"

I couldn't help but give her a sheepish grin in return. "Lets just say for giggles that I didn't..." I trail off playfully, and I see Tenten huffed playfully. I couldn't help but laugh at Tenten's pout. Tenten was...Quite the character. I knew very little about her past, but I didn't need to know her past to know that she was a good woman with a good heart. And she was like an older sister to me.

"I was telling you if it's normal for that cutie to be staring at your ass?" Tenten asked and nodded to someone behind me. I immediately flushed in embarrassment, and I take a peek over my shoulder to see who Tenten was talking about. And immediately I see Sasuke's head whip around.

"Was he...Was he staring at my ass?" I couldn't help but to blush at the thought. Over the last three days, it's become obvious that Sasuke is every girl's fantasy. There were a lot of stuck up guys at their school, so someone who fits as the 'bad boy' cliché was practically unheard of. Much less one with a slight Cajun accent.

"If he stared any harder, I'm pretty sure your pants would have caught on fire," Tenten snorted and I couldn't help but grin. I knew that while I thought of Tenten like a big sister, she, in turn, thought of me like a little sister. "Why don't you go over there and find out what his name is?" Tenten asked. Being a police officer, she didn't really hear all the gossip that Sakura hears. Although Sakura already knew his name thanks to the fact that he was in most of her classes.

"His name is Sasuke Uchiha," I shrugged as I tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach just at the mention of his names. What I did notice, however, was Tenten's eyebrows rising. "What?" I asked her curiously.

"You're a bit younger, so you probably haven't heard of it. I barely remember the news articles myself." Tenten admitted. "But apparently all of the Uchiha's were murdered in their sleep when I were about seven or eight. They were killed in their mansion out in one of the Bayous." Tenten informed me, and I couldn't help but to let my mouth drop open in an 'O'. "Only Sasuke, his brother, and his mother apparently survived."

I couldn't help but to shake my head, with a small frown on my face. No wonder he always seemed to have a haunted look in his eyes...Had Tenten never seen that article, I wouldn't know myself. As I look over my shoulder, I see him and his brother talking. They were surrounded by some of the other transfer students that had came with them. Apparently the school in the bayous was over crowded and they had to send some of the students here.

"That's...So sad." I whisper out. When our eyes connect, I try to smile a small smile at Sasuke. I try to keep the pity and empathy for him out of my eyes, and I must do a pretty good job. Because I see his lips quirk up in the barest hints of a smirk.

And as I looked at the small smile that quickly became the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, I knew that I was hooked.


	4. Chapter 4

_Story Title: Withering or Blooming?_

 _Title: Meetings_

 _Story Summary: Based heavily off of the **Arcana Chronicles** book, Withering or Blooming? follows the story of Sakura Haruno. An ex-mental patient who is living in the post-apocalyptic world that was caused by The Flash. As she struggles to survive, Sakura finds out more about the dark past of her family and how it's related to the Tarot Cards. The only question is...Is this real?_

 _Disclaimer: The main plot of this (The Flash and some of the key parts of the story) belong to Kresley Cole, author of The Arcana Chronicles! I'll be adding my own subplots, however! The characters, as all of us Naruto fans know, are the property of_ _Masashi Kishimoto._

 _A/N: So I considered putting this as a crossover, but then I figured that since I'm not using any of Kresley's characters that to me it doesn't constitute as a crossover. I will, however, make sure to give both her and Masashi credit! Two chapters in one day! Aren't I just a hard worker? This chapter is smaller, I'll admit, than most of the other chapters._

Kabuto's POV

Day 182 A.F

As I listen to the pink haired girl tell her story, I couldn't help but to feel myself get hopeful. Could I have found someone who would appreciate my work? Someone who was as crazy as I was? Of course, things were different between us. She was a young and small girl who had delusions and hallucinations, but I was a God. And just like all Gods, I needed my servants. And I was beginning to think that Sakura might make an excellent addition to it.

But then she started talking about Sasuke. The guy that she practically idolized. I could see it in her eyes. This wasn't just a crossing, or someone that she had grown tired of. This is someone that she was still hooked of. And then the anger came. I was probably about five years older than her, but I could still remember my own high school years. Girls like her would go out with girls like this Sasuke guy all the time. Leaving smart, unappreciated boys like me to wallow in self hatred. But as I grew up I realized something. Those girls would have horrible, routine lives. And that brought a small smile to my face.

"Is something funny?" I blink as I hear Sakura slurs. The drug was definitely taking affect. It was taking longer than normal, but I was definitely okay with that. Her story had me engrossed. Someone who was having hallucinations before the world went to hell? That was someone I wanted. And I'd have her, whether I had to chain her down like the other girl's in my basement.

"Not really. I think it's just about time for the cookies I put in the oven to be ready." I say as I stand up. I had made the cookies more for the smell more than anything. I had noticed that people get more relaxed when they smell relaxing and familiar scents. At least, that's what happened with my other victims. In fact, that's how I had snared one of the girls in the basement. She wondered to close when she smelt the cookies, and I had capitalized on that.

I made my way to the oven with a gleeful look on my face. I was recording everything Sakura said. Of course, it was part of the act. But I would love to listen to it a second time later. Figure out more and more about the girl that I was slowly becoming obsessed with. Or at least her story. She kept calling her hallucination 'visions'. And that was annoying me. I was the God here...Not her! And when she said that she saw the zombie like creature, I knew what she was talking about. Those of us still alive call them Bagmen. They adore anything liquid, although they prefer water. My guess is because liquids keep their skin from drying up. A bagman who has gone months without liquid is dangerous...A bagman who's freshly filled up? They are a nightmare. And I totally am not buying that crap about her having visions of them before the Flash. But I smile and bring out the cookies anyways...I'm eager to hear more of her story.


End file.
